The Simple Phrase That Can Transform Your Overwhelm

How changing your tone from "It's impossible!" to "It's not possible" can revolutionize your approach to unrealistic demands

If you're a physician, you've probably found yourself in this situation more times than you can count: You're facing demands that feel completely unrealistic. Maybe it's a patient panel that would require more hours than exist in a day. Maybe it's covering someone's maternity leave with a year-long waitlist. Maybe it's being expected to solve every system problem while also providing perfect patient care.

Your first instinct might be to throw up your hands and say, "It's IMPOSSIBLE!"

But what if I told you that a simple shift in how you say those words could completely change how you handle these overwhelming moments?

The Power of Tone

Recently, I was working with a physician client who was preparing for maternity leave. She has three months of patients already scheduled during the time she expects to be out on leave, and her workplace was asking her to figure out where to place all of them.

"It's impossible!" she said, with that familiar tone of frustration and overwhelm.

"You're right," I replied. "It's not possible."

Same words. Completely different energy.

When we say "It's IMPOSSIBLE!" we're in reaction mode. Our shoulders tense. Our stress skyrockets. We're victims of circumstances beyond our control.

But when we shift to "It's not possible," something amazing happens. Our shoulders settle. Our tone becomes calm and clear. We move from being reactive to being responsive.

The Research Behind the Reality

Here's something that might shock you (or maybe it won't): A 2022 study published in Medical Economics found that to properly care for a typical primary care panel, a physician would need 26.7 hours per day.

Twenty-six point seven hours. In a twenty-four hour day.

The study went on to show that with a high-functioning primary care team in place, that number drops to about 9 hours per day. But let's be honest - how many of us are working with truly high-functioning teams?

Most of us are working in systems that expect us to squeeze more productivity out of skeleton crews while taking on increasing responsibilities ourselves.

It's not possible. And that's not your fault.

The Four-Step Framework for Moving Forward

Once you've settled into "It's not possible," you can move into problem-solving mode using what I call the Four D's:

Do

Keep this list small. What absolutely must be done by you, and only you? In our maternity leave example, this might be a quick scan of the schedule to identify patients who absolutely need to be seen during that time period.

Delegate

What can someone else handle? Yes, delegation isn't always easy in our systems, but remember - if you don't delegate it and it truly can't be done by you, someone else will have to figure it out anyway when you're not there.

Defer (Creative Procrastination)

Some things are important but not urgent. Keep a list of these items so they don't take up mental energy, but give yourself permission to put them aside for now. You might come back to them later, or you might realize they weren't that important after all.

Dump

Yes, you have permission to let some things go completely. That project you people-pleased your way into? That committee work with no clear timeline or support? Sometimes you need to go back to someone and say, "I agreed to this, but I'm not able to do it anymore."

The Missing Piece: How Do You Want to Feel?

This is the piece most productivity advice misses entirely. Once you've acknowledged what's not possible and decided what you'll do about it, you get to choose how you want to feel about the situation.

You can choose to feel calm and settled, knowing you're doing what you can do. You can choose to keep your shoulders down when someone frantically approaches you about "your patient" needing something you can't provide right now.

You can choose to respond clearly and calmly: "I understand Mrs. Jones wants to be seen today. I have a full schedule. If she needs to be seen and I can't see her, we can ask if anyone else can see her. If no one else can see her, she'll need to go to urgent care or schedule for another day."

Your Reality Check

Whether you're practicing in a small community with limited resources or in a high-resource urban setting with multiple urgent care options, the principle remains the same: You cannot do everything. You cannot be responsible for more than is humanly possible.

The system will continue to ask you to do impossible things. But you get to decide how you respond.

You get to know your capacity. You get to set boundaries. You get to stay calm and settled while others try to make their problems your emergency.

The Bottom Line

When you find yourself thinking "It's impossible!" - pause. Lower your voice. Settle your shoulders. Say instead: "It's not possible."

Then ask yourself: What IS possible? What will I do, delegate, defer, or dump? And how do I want to feel about this situation?

You're not supposed to be able to do everything. The system isn't designed for your success - it's designed for maximum extraction. But you? You get to choose how you respond.

You get to choose to be calm in the chaos. You get to choose to set boundaries that protect your energy and sanity. You get to choose to show up as your best self for the work that truly matters.

And that's not just possible - it's powerful.

Ready to transform how you handle overwhelm and create sustainable boundaries in your practice? Listen to the full episode of Ending Physician Overwhelm for more strategies on moving from reactive to responsive.

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